I'm pretty well off. I work in tech and have been WFH during the last two years. I'm fortunate. But I have a bit of bias and don't know a lot of the realities of what people are getting.
A member of my family said one of his in laws or an aquantence (don't remember, unimportant) stopped working during the pandemic and is getting paid to not work. This seems like it would be unemployment benefits and not the brief (three?) payments of like $600 or something that most Americans got.
Anyway. What's the reality? Does the government pay for some set of people long term? Is it unemployment insurance only that would do that? It was hard challenging my family member because he wasn't the one who could show receipts. And since it was a blind fighting the blind kind of argument I just let it go.
From what I remember and have heard unemployment insurance in the US basically a tax paid for by employers. And while there have been some child care monthly tax credits they seem hardly enough to do more than ease the burden not completely cover the cost of having kids.
Tell me your stories. Not the story of your friend. I want first hand real examples. Is it possible someone could live off of subsidized unemployment?